Breast Cancer Treatment in Men in Israel Using Highly Effective Modern Methods

Despite the questionable prognosis of this oncological disease, undergoing a full course of treatment, primarily surgical treatment, at an early stage ensures a stable remission of more than 10 years. To establish a diagnosis and develop a therapeutic program, a comprehensive examination of the patient is necessary. The modern high-precision equipment of Israeli clinics allows for the rapid detection of oncological formations of the smallest sizes, describing their characteristics, based on which treatment methods and drugs are selected. Patients who have undergone therapy leave reviews highlighting its effectiveness and affordable cost, noting the friendliness and attentiveness of the medical staff, and comfortable conditions.

Treatment Methods for the Disease

Breast cancer, diagnosed in a very small number of men, develops as a result of pathological changes in the epithelial cells of the rudiments of the mammary glands. Almost two-thirds of cases are identified in patients with hyperestrogenemia — an increased level of female sex hormones (estrogens) — and enlargement of the mammary glands. The following causes of hyperestrogenemia are identified:

• age-related decrease in testosterone levels;
• long-term use of hormonal medications;
• certain endocrine diseases;
• tumors of the testes, pituitary gland, and adrenal glands;
• liver diseases;
• obesity;
• alcohol abuse.

A certain role is also played by the presence of this oncological disease in close relatives and the identification of BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes.

In the overwhelming majority of cases, the malignant process affects one breast. In the early stages, the tumor is painless; later, it increases in size, develops ulcers, and discharge from the nipple occurs. As the disease progresses and pleura and rib involvement occurs, pain syndrome and symptoms of cancer intoxication (anemia, loss of appetite, nausea, difficulty breathing, exhaustion) develop.

In men, lymphogenic and hematogenic spread of metastases is noted. First of all, metastatic foci develop in the nearby axillary lymph nodes, after which other groups of lymph nodes located in the chest area are affected. Distant metastases are identified in the lungs, bones, spinal cord, liver, and kidneys.

The treatment scheme is similar to that for breast oncopathologies in women. It includes various methods of surgical tumor removal, chemotherapy, and radiation, hormonal and targeted therapies.

Surgical Treatment

Typically, if the patient is operable, radical mastectomy is performed — removal of the entire volume of the affected gland along with surrounding lymph nodes and chest muscles. This operation is performed most often, as the lack of sufficient breast tissue in men makes it difficult to perform a conservative intervention — lumpectomy, during which the tumor is excised along with a fragment of surrounding normal tissues.

During the intervention, a biopsy procedure is mandatory, followed by microscopic examination of the sentinel (closest to the oncological formation) lymph node. If no cancer cells are found in the examined tissues, the lymph nodes are preserved.

Cosmetic defects arising after tumor removal are corrected through reconstructive plastic surgeries. In this case, the patient's own tissues, taken from the buttocks or back, are transplanted. Restoration of the shape of the nipple and areola is also possible.

Additionally, surgical removal of affected distant organs and glands may be prescribed: adrenalectomy (adrenals), hypophysectomy, orchiectomy (testes).

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy courses are prescribed to the patient before and after surgery, with the aim of reducing the tumor to a resectable size and destroying any remaining cancer cells after the intervention. This significantly prevents the spread of the process and the development of recurrence. Furthermore, chemotherapy is used as a palliative method at the terminal stage of the pathology, alleviating symptoms and improving the patient's quality of life. In Israel, the latest low-toxicity chemotherapeutic agents are used, which gently affect the body and do not cause severe side effects.

Radiotherapy

Typically, it is prescribed in conjunction with chemotherapy for the same purposes: to reduce the size of the tumor focus and prevent recurrence. In Israeli clinics, radiation sessions are performed on modern linear accelerators, using progressive IMRT technology (Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy), which allows for optimal distribution of the dose of ionizing radiation across the entire tumor surface. This ensures maximum safety for unaffected tissues.

Hormonal Therapy

Since almost 90% of breast cancer cases in men are hormone-dependent, hormonal medications are included in the treatment regimen. Their action is based on blocking the estrogen receptors of cancer cells, resulting in slowed tumor growth and gradual reduction in size.

Targeted Therapy

This is considered a type of immunotherapy. Monoclonal antibody-based targeted drugs are used to treat this oncological disease. Upon entering the patient's body, there is an immediate recognition and attack of the malignantly altered cells, provided that normal cells are not affected.

Cryoablation

This is a progressive minimally invasive technique based on the necrosis and death of cancer cells through freezing under low temperatures. The necessary temperature parameters are achieved by treating the oncological formation with liquid nitrogen. The refrigerant is delivered to the tumor focus using a special catheter, ensuring the safety of surrounding tissues.

Methods of Diagnosing the Disease

The unusual location and the absence of suspicion of malignant tumor development in the patient explain the delayed consultation with a doctor. For this reason, oncopathologies of the breast in men are most often diagnosed at advanced stages, when the tumor has had time to reach significant sizes, spread, and metastasize to other organs. Studies have shown that about a year and a half passes from the appearance of the first external signs of the pathology to the consultation with a specialist.
In Israel, the necessary examinations for diagnosis and therapeutic scheme construction are conducted in about three days.

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